India to Fund 2D Material Research

New Delhi, Jun 27 (PTI) Electronics and IT ministry is mulling to support research on 2D material and planning to float expressions of interest to select the project, senior officials said on Friday.

2D materials have the potential to produce over 10 times smaller chips than silicon-based chips being developed at present.

"We have volunteered and come forward to support programmes... with ANRF – which means putting our own research money alongside what ANRF does and trying to encourage the industry to come forward. One of the early ones that we are pushing in that space is a 2D research centre," Meity Secretary S Krishnan said while speaking at the Tec-Verse event.

The Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) was established by the government to seed, grow and promote research and development (R&D) and foster a culture of research and innovation throughout Indian universities, colleges, research institutions, and R&D laboratories.

A team of 30 scientists from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has submitted a proposal to the government for developing technologies using a new class of semiconductor materials, called 2D materials, that could enable chip sizes as small as one-tenth of the smallest chips currently in global production and develop India's leadership in semiconductors.


Krishnan said that efforts should be made to collaboratively develop technologies that are supported with public funds, and duplication of projects must be avoided.

"We are in the age of Deepseek (Chinese AI platform)...building on each other's efforts to go forward. This may not be pure greenfield research. A lot of it is innovation (and ), a lot of it is building on existing models on things which we can take forward. Ultimately, the test of the pudding is in what we deliver, what it is people of the country are able to benefit from," Krishnan said.

Ministry of Electronics and IT, Additional Secretary, Amitesh Sinha said the role of materials in semiconductors is very important.

"Earlier, everybody was focusing on electronics and communication, but now material science and chemical engineering are all very important," he said.

Sinha said that Meity is mulling to float an expression of interest to select the project for funding support.